Collapsible and portable outdoor shelter



Feb. 19, 1957 w. c. KRIEGER 2,781,766

COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE OUTDOOR SHELTER Filed April 5, 1954 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM C. KRIEGER INVENTOR.

W. C. KRIEGER COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE OUTDOOR SHELTER Filed April 5, 1954 Feb. 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WILL/AM 6. KR/EGER INVENTOR.

- Arr-'7 United States Patent COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE OUTDOOR SHELTER This invention relates to improvements in outdoor shelters and is designed more especially for use as a camp toilet, or a portable dressing room for camps, bathing beaches, and the like, or for use as a duck blind for duck hunters.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide accommodation of the kind whose structure is of a collapsible and foldable nature so as to occupy but little space when not in use and also so that it can be conveniently handled for transport.

Another object is to provide such a structure embodying a minimum number of parts which may be extended with maximum facility and ease, as well as collapsed with like convenience.

A further object is to provide a structure of this character in which its several parts are permanently connected One to the other, thereby not only avoiding the danger of loss of parts, but also facilitating the setting up of the structure.

The foregoing and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a shelter made in accordance with my invention and shown in an extended position for use, the fabric facing or, covering being removed.

Figure 2 is a sectional front view taken approximately along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front view showing the various parts of the structure in folded and collapsed position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of locking means for terminal ends of the extensible elements of the frame structure.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the invention set up and ready for use and a cover in use therewith.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken approximately along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective detail view of foldable elements of a base and latching means therefor.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts, the reference numeral 1 indicates generally a base structure comprising permanently and rigidly interconnected side wall members 2 and 3 and a rear wall 4. Hingedly attached as at 5 to the sidewalls and depending therefrom are side wall extensions 6 and 7 which are lockable into extended positions are shown in Figures 1 and 5 by means of a partial front wall member 8 hingedly connected as at 9 to the front end of the side wall extension 6 and attachable to the front end of the other side wall extension 7 by any suitable type of latching means such as, for instance, the hook 9A swingably attached to the front wall member 8 and engageable with an eyebolt 9B secured to the side wall extension 7. The side wall members are secured in parallel relation to one another by a seat 10 secured to the top edges thereof and also PIce to the top edge of the rear wall 4. The seat is formed with an opening 11 for use as a toilet which may be closed by a cover 12 hingedly attached as at 13 to the seat and extending the full width thereof. When the cover is in a closed position it renders the shelter more suitable for other uses such as aduck blind or the like as previously pointed out. Surrounding the opening 11 on the under side of the seat 10 is an annulus 14 to which may be attached, by thumb tacks 1 5, a rubber band, string or the like, a sheet of disposable paper 16 arranged in cylindrical form as shown.

A cover-supporting frame generally indicated at 17 is attached at its bottom end to the side wall members 2-3 and to the back wall member 4. The frame is made in three sections indicated at 18, 19 and 20 and each section is in the form of a toggle frame. The bottom end of one of the bottom arms of the section 18 is pivotally atttached as at 21 to the bottom rear corner of the side wall member 2 and the companion arm is pivotally and slidably attached to the lower front corner of said wall by means of a pin 22 slidable within a horizontal slot 23 formed in the wall. The bottom ends of the opposite side section 19 and the rear section are in like manner attached to their respective wall members 3 and 4. The top arms of said frame sections are similarly pivotally and slidably attached to side and rear members 2425 and 26, respectively, of a roof frame having also a front cross member 27 and a plurality of cover-supporting slats 28 secured thereto. The slots 23A in the side and rear members of the roof frame are notched intermediate their ends as at 29 to receive the slidable pins in thetop arms of the frame sections 18, 19 and 20 to lock said sections and the roof frame in position at a reduced elevation when desired.

As shown in Figure 5, the fabric cover comprises top, rear and side walls 30, 31 and 32, respectively, and a front wall 33 in the form of a flap. Any desired number of suitable snap-fasteners 34 may be provided for removably securing the walls to the roof frame and to the side and rear wall members 2, 3 and 4 of the base structure.

To insure uniformity of upward extension or expansion of the frame sections 18 and 20 and to stabilize all three sections throughout their operative range I interconnect the adjacent ends of their respective toggle arms by means of angle brackets 35.

When the cover is removed the entire cover-supporting frame can be quickly and conveniently collapsed under the influence of gravity from the set up position shown in Figures 1 and 2 to that shown in Figure 3 by merely dislodging the pins at the ends of the top toggle arms of the frame sections 18, 19, 20 from the notches 36 at the inner ends of their respective slots 23A. Following this the front wall member 8 of the base structure is swung outwardly and rearwardly about the hinges 9 to lie flat against the side wall extension 6, then both side wall extensions 6 and 7 are swung inwardly and upwardly about their hinges 5 to lie flat against the inside surfaces of the side walls 2 and 3 to thus reduce the 'entire structure to the compact form shown in Figure 3.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention 1 am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention 'What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters same, each of said side walls being made of an upper part and a lower part hingedly connected whereby the lower part is foldable upwardly and inwardly with respect to the upper part, a front wall hingedly connected at one of its ends to the lower part of one side wall and lockable by latching means at its opposite end to the lower part of the other side wall when both of said lower partsare in an unfolded vertical position, vertically disposed toggle frames pivotally and slidably attached at their bottomends to said side and rear walls of the base; a roof frame comprising from, rear, and side members, one end of one top arm of each toggle frame being pivotally attached to its respective member of said roof frame and one end of its companion top arm being pivotally and slidably attached to its respective member of the roof frame by means of a pin carried by said companion arm and extending through a horizontal slot in its respective member of the roof frame; and said slot having a notch formed at one of its ends and intermediate its ends to receive said pin to hold its respective toggle frame selectively in a fully elevated position or in a position at reduced elevation when desired, the adjacent edges of all of said toggle frames being permanently pivotally interconnected to insure stabilized erection and uniform and stabilized extensible and retractable movement of all of the toggle frames, and a cover supported by said roof frame and toggle frames.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 268,240 Tones a- Nov. 28, 1882 612,479 Casey Oct. 18, 1898 1,773,847 Nickles Aug. 26, 1930 1,912,425 Baumer June 6, 1933 Mamma y" 

